Terms of service for drone videography and photography services

These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern the provision of aerial filming, videography, and photography services ("Services") by Drone Filming Hertfordshire ("we", "us", "our") to any individual or organisation engaging those Services ("you", "the Client"). By booking, paying for, or otherwise instructing us to carry out work, you agree to these Terms.

1. Booking and Engagement

1.1. A booking is confirmed once we have provided a quotation or written confirmation of the work and you have accepted it, whether by email, message, or payment.

1.2. Each quotation sets out the scope of work, location(s), deliverables, and fees for that specific engagement. Where a quotation and these Terms conflict, the quotation takes precedence for that engagement.

1.3. Quotations are valid for [30] days unless otherwise stated.

1.4. Changes to scope. Any change to the agreed work — including additional sites, extra or revised deliverables, or changes to the timeline — must be confirmed in writing and may incur additional cost or time. We will tell you of any such change before carrying it out.

2. Fees and Payment

2.1. Fees are as set out in the relevant quotation. Our standard hourly rate is £140.

2.2. Payment is due on delivery and acceptance of proofs. Once payment has been made, full high-resolution content will be delivered electronically. Content can be delivered by USB or Blu-Ray disc for a small additional charge.

2.3. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, copyright and usage rights in the delivered content do not pass to you until payment has been received in full (see Section 6).

2.4. Late payments may be subject to interest in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

3. Cancellation, Rescheduling and Weather

3.1. Cancellation by us due to weather or safety. Drone operations are weather- and safety-dependent. If we cancel or postpone a shoot because conditions are unsafe or unsuitable for flying (including wind, rain, visibility, or airspace restrictions), no charge will apply, and we will work with you to arrange a new date.

3.2. Cancellation by you. If you cancel a confirmed booking less than 48 hours before the scheduled start time, a cancellation fee of £140 will apply. Cancellations made 48 hours or more before the scheduled start time will not incur a charge, save for any non-recoverable third-party costs already committed on your behalf.

3.3. On-the-day abort. We reserve the right to assess conditions on the day and to delay, relocate, or abort a flight where we consider it unsafe or unlawful to proceed. Safety and legal compliance always take priority over completing the shoot. We will not charge for time on-site in these circumstances, but travel fees may apply depending on the circumstances and the distance travelled.

3.4. The cancellation terms in clause 3.2 apply subject to your statutory rights as a consumer where Section 4 applies.

4. Consumer Cancellation Rights

This section applies only where you are a consumer (an individual acting wholly or mainly outside your trade, business, craft, or profession) and your contract with us was made at a distance (for example by phone, email, or our website) or away from our business premises (for example at your property). It does not apply to business clients.

4.1. The flight is the point of no return. You may cancel your booking at any time before we arrive on-site and the flight takes place. Once the flight has taken place, the Services are treated as performed and the full fee becomes payable.

4.2. As a consumer, you have a statutory right under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 to cancel within 14 days of the day after the contract is made. Because your booking may fall within that period, you agree that we may carry out the Services (i.e. fly) before the 14 days expire, and you acknowledge that once the flight has taken place you lose the right to cancel and the full fee is payable.

4.3. If you cancel before the flight: you will not be charged for the Services themselves. You remain responsible only for any non-recoverable costs we have already committed to third parties on your behalf (for example, paid permissions, time spent to secure flights within a restricted flight zone or bookings made specifically for your job).

4.4. If you cancel after the flight has taken place: the Services are treated as performed, no refund is due, and the full fee is payable, whether or not editing and delivery have been completed.

4.5. To cancel, please notify us in writing (email is sufficient).

4.6. Where this section applies, it takes precedence over clause 3.2 to the extent of any conflict.

5. Permissions, Airspace and Site Access

5.1. CAA and airspace permissions. We hold the necessary permissions to operate and will obtain any flight authorisations required by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for the work, including clearances for operations within a Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ) where applicable.

5.2. Take-off and landing rights. You are responsible for ensuring that we have permission to access, take off from, and land at the intended site(s), including obtaining consent from the relevant landowner or occupier. We are not liable for delays, additional costs, or inability to complete the work where such permission has not been secured.

5.3. Site safety and access. Where work takes place on your premises or a site under your control (including construction, scaffolding, or commercial sites), you are responsible for providing safe and timely access for our personnel and equipment, for informing us of any site-specific safety requirements (such as PPE, inductions, escorts, or hazards), and for notifying any third parties — for example property owners, tenants, or contractors — who may be affected by the work.

5.4. Other consents. You are responsible for obtaining any consents required from third parties appearing in or affected by the filming (for example, individuals, neighbouring properties, or event organisers), unless we have expressly agreed in writing to handle these.

5.5. We will at all times operate in accordance with the Air Navigation Order and CAA regulations. We may decline to fly where doing so would breach those regulations or compromise safety.

6. Safety and Risk Assessment

6.1. We carry out a remote risk assessment prior to attending site, and a visual (on-site) risk assessment before commencing any flight.

6.2. We are happy to provide risk assessment documentation on request.

6.3. The operator's safety assessment on the day is final. Operations will only proceed, or resume, once conditions are acceptable.

7. Ownership, Copyright and Usage Rights

7.1. Ownership. We retain ownership of, and copyright in, all footage, images, and other content we create ("the Content"), in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Nothing in these Terms transfers copyright to you unless expressly agreed in writing.

7.2. Your licence. On full payment, and unless otherwise stated in your quotation, we grant you a non-exclusive, perpetual licence to use the delivered Content for your own business or personal purposes (including your website and social media). This licence does not permit you to resell, sub-license, or transfer the Content to any third party, or to register any rights in it.

7.3. Our retained rights. We remain free to use, reproduce, edit, and distribute the Content for any purpose, including but not limited to promotion, our showreel and portfolio, marketing, and the creation and licensing of stock or royalty-free material, unless an exclusivity agreement is in place under clause 7.4.

7.4. Exclusivity. If you require exclusive rights, full ownership, or any restriction on our use of the Content, this will be quoted separately on a per-job basis and must be agreed in writing. Until such an agreement is reached and paid for, clauses 7.1 to 7.3 apply.

7.5. Moral rights / credit. We appreciate but do not require a credit to "Drone Filming Hertfordshire" where the Content is published.

8. Delivery

8.1. We will deliver the Content within the timeframe set out in the quotation or, if none is stated, within a reasonable period.

8.2. Delivery format and resolution are as specified in the quotation. Requests for additional edits, formats, or versions beyond the agreed scope may incur further charges.

8.3. We retain working files and raw footage at our discretion and are under no obligation to supply unedited or raw material unless expressly agreed.

8.4. While we maintain regular backups, we do not guarantee being able to re-supply previously delivered content should you require it again.

9. Insurance and Liability

9.1. We hold public liability insurance appropriate to our drone operations, compliant with Regulation (EC) 785/2004. Details of our current cover are available on request.

9.2. You are advised to maintain your own appropriate insurance for your property, personnel, and any third-party liabilities relating to the Services, particularly where work takes place on a site under your control.

9.3. We will carry out the Services with reasonable skill and care. However, to the fullest extent permitted by law, our total liability arising out of or in connection with any engagement is limited to the total fees paid by you for that engagement.

9.4. We are not liable for any indirect or consequential loss, or for loss of profit, business, goodwill, or anticipated savings.

9.5. We are not liable for delays or failure to perform caused by circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including weather, airspace restrictions, equipment failure, illness, or third parties withholding access or permissions.

9.6. Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for any other liability that cannot lawfully be limited or excluded.

10. Termination

10.1. Either party may terminate an engagement in writing if the other commits a material breach of these Terms and fails to remedy it within a reasonable period after being asked to do so.

10.2. On termination, you will pay for all Services performed, and any costs we have reasonably committed, up to the date of termination.

10.3. Termination does not affect any rights or obligations that have already accrued, including those relating to ownership, copyright, and payment.

11. Data Protection

11.1. We process personal data in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Any personal data you provide will be used only for the purpose of delivering the Services and as set out in our Privacy Policy.

12. General

12.1. These Terms, together with the relevant quotation, form the entire agreement between us and supersede any prior discussions.

12.2. No variation of these Terms is effective unless agreed in writing.

12.3. If any provision is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in full effect.

12.4. These Terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have exclusive jurisdiction.